August 7, 2008
Storyline obsession
I’ve written three novels. None published, but I’ve written them. I’m in the process of working towards finding an agent for my fantasy novel and writing a query letter to start submitting my chic lit-ish novel to Christian publishers.
I’m trying to decide which of the two I’ll publish under a psuedonym, since I’m thinking that the Christian publishers aren’t going to want the fantasy novel (and I’m not particularly fond of the idea of giving it to them, for reasons that I should probably feel guilty about) and there’s no way I’m going to publish a fantasy novel and then submit a modern-day teen pregnancy story to the same publisher.
That’s assuming that both novels ever get published.
All of that now being out in the air, I’m going to talk about the reason I’m really writing this post. Writing a novel and editing a novel are two very, very different things. They take different writing muscles to pump out. They excite different parts of the creative process. And I don’t like going too long without writing. Not blog-writing or journal-writing, but good old fashioned creative writing. I love the process of creating a storyline and holding it in my head and deciding what to put where and how fast to put it all out and who says what and does what and what symbolizes what and what do we learn and when do we learn it and can this story really help people, and change people? And make the world even a little bit brighter, for as long as it’s in someone’s hand?
I’m obsessed. Which is why I write. I write not because I enjoy it (because sometimes it is a burden) or because I’m inspired (because sometimes my muse drugs me and leaves me in the night) but because I have to. I have to write to breathe, I have to write to live, there is nothing in this world aside from being a mother that has given me more satisfaction or caused me more frustration.
So now I’m plotting out the next storyline I’ll start writing. Either I’ll do NaNoWriMo again this year, or I’ll just write it when I get the time and stop when it’s done. I love NaNoWriMo even with the caffiene induced hallucinations and five hours of sleep a night, because it’s always given me a novel.
So, for everyone’s information: Probable Next Novel will be another fantasy story, sequel to the first, following the collapse of a nation and the people who have to pick up the pieces. Characters would include: wet nurse to the former king’s son (the current heir) who is only a toddler but being sought by assassins. The former king, who has heard rumors of his son’s survival and been trying to find him for years, but is also being hunted by assassins. A vampire maiden who helped save the world from darkness despite the fact it meant her death, who was brought back to life by a coven of vampires and is now trying to get her freedom, and a bunch of other people.
Including a cat.
Because, come on, vampire maidens who are trying to win back their soul and cats? And assassins? And a world on the brink of collapse? Throw in a crotchety dwarf and it’s an instant classic. (Note: No dwarves in my universe. No hope of a classic.)
craft from the land of monkeys 